Tasmanian Governor Kate Warner now cancer-free after months of chemotherapy

Tasmanian Governor Kate Warner reflects on her time undergoing cancer treatment after being given the all-clear.

Tasmania Governor Kate Warner has been given the all-clear by doctors after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma earlier this year. Picture: EDDIE SAFARIK

JUST eight months since announcing she was battling cancer, Tasmanian Governor Kate Warner has confirmed she has received the all-clear.

The 71-year-old began treatment in January after announcing the diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and was told by doctors about a month ago there were no signs of the cancer.

Her Excellency told the Sunday Tasmanian she had felt optimistic throughout her treatment.

“It really it hasn’t disrupted my life too much at all, but it is nice having that clarity that I’m not going to go through that [chemotherapy] again,” she said.

“I think my body tolerated it reasonably well and I know the more you have, the more difficult it is so I was very glad not to have to have more.

“I knew there was a possibility that I might have to have some radiotherapy, but I didn’t have to have that, so I was relieved about that, but particularly relived about no more chemotherapy.”

Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is considered the most common and curable form of lymphoma.

Prof Warner said her hair had already started to grow back and her doctors would monitor the situation going forward.

“I have to go back in three months and I’m not sure if I have to have more scans or not, but I have got an appointment with the haematologist-oncologist in three months,” she said.

“They will monitor some of the side effects. I can’t feel any, but I think chemotherapy does tend to affect your heart and reduce its efficiency, but you can recover from that.”

The distinguished University of Tasmania academic became the state’s first female governor in 2014 and her five-year appointment is due to end on December 9

“It’s really nice to be able to feel well for that last part of it,” Prof Warner said.